These legacies gave importance to the office of schoolmaster. The choice lay then, as now, with the rector and the lay representatives of the parish, at that time the Eighteen, now only six. The appointment of young Thomas Knott as schoolmaster, shortly after this accession of funds, was an excellent one. Curate as well, there is a question as to whether he did not occupy also the post of clerk. He was termed clerk in the wardens' accounts, when in 1694 he was paid 2s. for attending the Visitation and Correction Court. But a man who could appear at so dignified a function could hardly have swept out the church, or dug the graves--and these, according to the Declaration of the Wardens "We have no sexton belonging to our Church"--were among the clerk's duties. He may have paid a deputy to do these things, since there were perquisites belonging to the post worth gathering in. INCOME OF THE CLERK.--The parish clerk was, in his way, as important a functionary as the parson. Like the rector, he had no fixed salary, but took from early times the offerings of the folk, which became fixed and proportionate, like the tithes. From every "smoke" or household fire, he had one penny a year. For church ceremonials, when he acted as Master of the Ceremonies, he received a fixed fee, 2d. for a wedding and 4d. for a funeral. He was the accredited news-agent or advertizer. For instance, when the Rydal and Loughrigg Overseers wished to put a pauper out to board, in 1796, they gave him 2d. "for advertising her to let." (See Tithes.) He was paid 2d. for every proclamation in church or yard. These ancient fixed fees lessened in value through the centuries, as did the tithes. Various small emoluments however became attached to the post as time went on. If the clerk was a good penman--as he was certain to be when acting as pedagogue--he might be employed on the church writings. Besides the joint Presentments, charged at 2s. 6d. (of which Grasmere and Langdale paid 1s. each and Rydal with Loughrigg 6d.), there were the wardens' accounts to be drawn up, at a fee rising by degrees from 3s. to 5s.; as well as a fair copy to be made into the large register-book from the parson's pocket-register. This last duty--oft, alas! negligently performed--was long rewarded by 1s. annual payment, which afterwards rose to 3s. 6d. These items occur in the accounts:-- £ s. d. 1672--"For writting ye burialls Christenings and Mariages out ye Register Bookes 2 times" 00 2 00 1675--"Itt. for writting a coppy out of ye Regester Book etc £00 2 00" 1790--"To writing Marriage Register 1s. 0d. to drawing Copy of Register 2s. 6d."